Karatsu Castle
Karatsu Castle, A White Keep Rebuilt In 1966 On A Hill Beside Karatsu Bay In Saga, Known As The Crane Castle, With A Pine Grove Along The Niji No Matsubara Beach. A Small Town Castle With A Sea View. · Karatsu, Saga
Karatsu Castle is a small white castle on a low hill beside Karatsu Bay in Saga, on the northwest coast of Kyushu. It was built between about 1602 and 1608 by Terasawa Hirotaka, and the keep you climb today is a 1966 reconstruction in concrete, so it is a view and a museum rather than an original. It is nicknamed Maizuru, the dancing crane castle, for the spread of its roof lines. Inside, a small museum shows armour, local history and Karatsu ware pottery, and the top floor has an observation deck looking across the bay to the Niji-no-Matsubara pine grove, a long belt of pines that runs for about 5 km. The castle suits a short stop on a coast trip, families and people who like pine-and-sea views. It is worth an hour or two if you are in Karatsu anyway, and the town adds pottery, seafood and a famous November festival. It is not a reason to cross Kyushu on its own, because bigger castles stand elsewhere.
Higashijo-machi, Karatsu, Saga, on the shore of Karatsu Bay, a short walk from Karatsu Station, Karatsu, Saga, Japan
The castle grounds are generally open daily from morning to late afternoon, with the keep admitting visitors until a little before closing, around 4:30 pm - confirm the hours and any short closure around the New Year. The walk from Karatsu Station takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes along flat streets, and a bus or taxi is possible. The Chikuhi Line connects with Fukuoka's subway and takes about an hour and a half, so a day trip is practical, but check the last return train. IC cards work on the trains and buses, while small shops and the museum shop may want cash. Nothing needs booking, but during the Karatsu Kunchi festival in early November the town is much busier.